New Delhi, Aug. 20 -- India's declining total fertility rate (TFR) has caused intense public debate in recent months. The suggestions have been extreme- from abandoning family planning policies to public appeals by political leaders for women to have more children.

The UNFPA, in itsState of World Population 2025 report claims that the problem is neither over-population nor under-population, but instead a crisis of reproductive agency and inability to fulfil one's choice. Our essay aims to go beyond symptoms and explore the deeper malaise that has accompanied economic growth and industrialization across the world. Our core hypothesis is that the rapid decline in fertility is largely on account of a breakdown of the family structure-one of...